There is a curious story in the book of Daniel that is often forgotten, but its insight is very applicable as the Christian attempts to build the city of God while living in the city of man. When the Babylonians conquered Judah (the southern Kingdom of Israel), they took all of the notable people (kings, princes, nobles, etc) out of Jerusalem for them to serve King Nebechenezzer who was the leader of the Babylonian Empire. They left the rest of the less important people behind in Jerusalem, but those who remained would eventually be decimated along with the city and temple because they tried to rebel against the Babylonians.
Among the nobles who went to serve King Nebechenezzer were Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael (Belteshazzar, Shadrack, Abednego, and Mishack). They were instructed to be fed meat and wine from the King’s table that went against Jewish law of eating with Gentiles. The four men of Judah refused the food, but the steward placed over them begged that they eat so they do not look malnourished and thus receive punishment from the king. Daniel suggested that the steward allow them to eat vegetables and water for 10 days and test their physical state at the end in comparison with the other Gentile young men. The steward agreed, and it was found out that after 10 days that the men of Judah’s health surpassed that of the other young men. Thus, they were allowed to continue their diet. As time went on, they would become known as the wisest of all the men in King Nebechenezzer’s service.
Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael were taken from their homeland and faced the challenge of following the Lord even amongst a pagan culture. Because of their faithfulness to Him, God rewards them with incredible wisdom. This is because the beginning of all wisdom is fear of the Lord which they display by keeping the Jewish law. As a result of the faithfulness, in later trials and persecutions God will miraculously save each of the four men of Judah from imminent death of the fiery furnace or the lion’s den.
But what does this mean for us? We Christians are all people who live in the world but are not to be of the world. We are not to eat from the ‘King’s table.’ To do so, would be to conform to the ways of the world and lose God’s wisdom. How do we eat from the ‘King’s table’ in modern culture? Through our screens and the people/culture we . Every form of information can be received through television, computer, or phone thanks to the internet. Also, we learn a way of life from the community around us and we often conform to the community’s social norms. Because the city of man is built on selfish aspirations, domination over others is key to elevation both in person and online. Whether it be in the political, social media, or entertainment, the internet is often inundated with food from the ‘King’s table.’ Unfortunately, many Christians also feed from the ‘King’s table,’ and as a result many within our Church lack the Wisdom that comes from fear of the Lord. Consequently, we make religion a political tool or a moral game. Or we make up our own rules within religion so that we do not have to change. And this is all fed to us from a culture of self gratification.
The solution? We need to unplug from the ‘King’s table’ and focus only on the feast that is laid before us in the Word and the Eucharist. Jesus has conquered the world and when we feed on Him in the scriptures and the sacraments, we take on that victory. The foolishness of God’s sacrifice on the cross is greater than any human wisdom. Thus, we need to devote ourselves to learning this wisdom and praying for the strength to adhere to it even in the face of persecution. Only Jesus was successful at this from his birth until his death, and anyone who has achieved it since did so by feeding on his grace. The wedding feast of the Lamb of God is ready for us, it is up to us to reject the world, wash ourselves clean in the blood of the Lamb, and take and eat from the Eternal King’s table.
